So a lot of blogs (including mine) have been reporting that Windows 8 will be the operating system that refocuses PC users on gaming.
According to Techradar:
A relaunched Games for Windows marketplace was a recent fillip, but it is the hiring of Rahul Sood, the founder of gaming computer brand Voodoo PC and previously an outspoken critic of the Redmond company’s attitude towards PC gaming that underlines what TechRadar has been told about Windows 8.
“Windows 8 will represent a real new push into PC gaming,” the source told TechRadar. “Gaming will be a key component for the whole OS.”
I think that there are a few things that may be at play here.
- This may just be an idea at this point. One that some unnamed source is pushing to TechRadar. Ideas get voted up or down and tons of ideas get voted down routinely.
- I have no doubt that Rahul Sood has been hired by Microsoft and they are hoping that he may have some ideas that MIGHT add some pep to the gaming components of Windows 8. If and what he does remain to be seen. Not a done deal in terms of talent fit and innovation delivery.
- Gaming may have some value on the tech street but has little to no business value. Microsoft is a corporate giant. No CTO ever approved an operating system because it played games better than it’s predecessor. If they want the majority of corporate consumers to wait for Windows 9, making the focus of Windows 8 gaming is the way to go.
- Most PC’s at this point have what they need to play most games. Graphics cards are embarrassingly cheap, ram is cheaper, the average PC is fast and cheap. No one has explained exactly what it is that is missing from the PC hardware stack in terms of gaming. I believe that the only SUBSTANTIAL changes that Microsoft need to make on the gaming side is on the software portal side like Valve’s STEAM. That would require minimal integration at the OS level to make that happen.
Like most things Windows 8 at this point, I believe that the Windows 8 gaming story was just that, a speculative story.
I will say it again (for the 50th time) – Windows 7 has been a wild success, Microsoft will need to make a really strong case for deploying Windows 8 anytime soon. The ability to capture a video game market doesnt sound like a strong case to me…
But what can I say, no one can predict what Microsoft will do these days…
Makes sense… people just like to run with the Windows 8 blog story of the day…
Here is the long and short of what keeps Windows at the head of the pack.
Vast backwards and forwards compatability with hardware and software and a huge cataloge of software, not the least of all which includes massive numbers of hugly popular games.
Anything that can rejig Windows to make it more gaming freindly then ever will not hurt and can only help. It may not be a selling point to the corporate world but who cares, particularly if its not costing the corporate world anything. Corporations, particularly on a world wide basis are not the only
ones using Windows, just in case nobody around here has noticed.
I believe gaming will be a major part of Windows 8, but not in the way you make it out. What your talking about is hardcore gaming… buying the best graphics card… having the most ram… that is a dying breed. Hardcore gamers have always been on consoles and that wont change anytime soon. MS knows this, thats why Xbox 360 gets all their flagship titles and the PC gets the leftovers. So what will MS do? Well, gaming is HUGE and I believe that MS will turn the Windows 8 devices into a more casual gaming device much like an iPad is. Xbox Live support is a must and Live Arcade games with touch controls (as well as gamepad support) will be the norm. This will also go great with Windows 8 app store.
IMHO, if you think Windows 7 is also not focused on gaming along with other versions of Windows than I think you are right by claiming so on Windows 8. Else there will be all the breezes that we have been experiencing so far with Windows.
(Comments sent from a Mac :D)
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